subject: Understanding the importance of a lawn aerator [print this page] Understanding the importance of a lawn aerator
To start, a lawn aerator is a garden tool to aerate or introduce air into the soil of the lawn. Regular aeration of the lawn improves soil drainage and encourages growth of worms, micro-fauna and micro-flora. Further, aeration of lawn involves two tasks. First, one needs to control lawn thatch, and secondly, soil compaction must be discouraged.
Lawn thatch is a layer of dead organic material that deprives the soil from much needed nutrients (i.e. water & air). Air and water are the external factors which cannot infiltrate into the soil and reach the grass roots if the soil is in a compressed condition. Consequently, grass on the surface begins to die. Lawn aerators ensure easy absorption of water, oxygen and other nutrients to the grass roots. Lawn aeration also helps increase the vitality of the microorganisms, which prevents accumulation of lawn thatch.
Ways to aerate your lawn
There are two ways to aerate your lawn, one with the solid spike aerator and second with the lawn plug aerator.
While the former aerator with spikes simply punches holes into the ground, the lawn plug aeratorspull out plugs of soil as well. These plugged holes can be later filled back with top soil and fertilizer. Out of the two methods, lawn plug aeration is said to be most effective because actual cores of soil are pulled from the lawn. This process of lawn aeration helps the soil to open up. It also increases the water infiltration, improves rooting and reduces thatch, thereby improving the overall lawn condition.
Further, lawn aeration provides many other advantages, in addition to minimal soil compaction and better drainage, it can do the following:
Increases the air flow in the soil which helps the grass roots to breathe better and grow healthier
Improves lawn thickness and vigor
Helps fertilizer penetrate down to the grass roots
Save water waste by increasing water infiltration and reduces run-off
Air penetration increases the microbial activity in the soil
Helps break down lawn thatch
Promotes a greener and weed free lawn
Finally, to help lawn soil breathe, it is advisable to give it some time to regenerate (after aeration and before seeding). This ensures uniform grass growth.
